Adapter between toilet and discharge pipe



Jan. 2, 1962 A. MlNELLA ADAPTER BETWEEN TOILET AND DISCHARGE PIPE Filed Oct. 1, 1956 J WM 6 i W k 0 .L fl b p #0 0 Z a 3L 1 1 a I U e w A United States Patent 3,015,501 ADAPTER BETWEEN TQILET AND DHSCHARGE PEPE Angelo Minella, Houston, Tex, assignor, by mesne assignments, oi one-third to Cleo Clifiord Pajdowski and two-thirds to Svea Mary Clifiord, both of Chicago, Ill.

Filed Oct. 1, 1956, Ser. No. 613,886 2 Claims. (Cl. 2S-558) This invention relates to an adapter or adjustable water closet collar for connecting the base of a water closet or toilet to the inlet of a conventional closet bend or discharge pipe therebelow in a manner that the discharge axis of the toilet may be located eccentrically with relation to the axis of the discharge pipe.

In construction it happens that toilet discharge pipes, as located by plumbers, and walls as located by carpenters, or both, may vary in plan position from the architectural or engineering drawing positions prescribed therefor with the result that it becomes necessary to locate the discharge axis of toilets, when installed, with eccentricity with relation to the axes of previously installed discharge pipes in order to position toilets the proper distance from an adjacent wall. This invention makes it possible to accomplish this by means of adapters connecting the bases of toilets to the tops of discharge pipes therebelow and bearing in firm contact upon the floor on which the toilet is located.

It is consequently, a primary object of this invention to provide an adapter for connecting the base of a toilet to the discharge pipe therebelow in a manner to position the discharge axis of the toilet eccentrically with relation to the axis of the pipe.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such an adapter which is constructed to permit such eccentric connection between discharge pipes and the bases of various makes of toilets.

It is also an object of this invention to provide such an adapter which is constructed to fit firmly against the floor on which the toilet is installed.

-It is yet another object of this invention to provide such an adapter by which connection may be made between a toilet discharge pipe and a toilet thereabove so that the discharge axis of the toilet may be properly positioned with relation to two walls intersecting at right angles.

it is another object to provide in an adapter of the type described in the preceding objects a semi-cylindrical internal surface tapering smoothly and continuously upwardly and outwardly from the lower end of the adapter to implement a swirling action of the drainage water for inhibiting the lodging of sediment on the surfaces of the adapter and the upper end of the discharge pipe.

Other and further objects will be apparent when the specification herein is considered in connection with the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of a toilet connected by an adapter embodying the invention to a discharge pipe therebelow;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of the adapter shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of such adapter;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the base of a toilet; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation taken along line 5-5 of P16. 4.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a conventional toilet 16 is shown in FIG. 1 having a conventional base 11 connected by bolts 12 to an adapter or adjustable water closet collar 14 which has a flange 15 to bear firmly on the floor 16 on which the toilet is installed. An opening 17 is made in the floor 16 so that the adapter shell "ice or body may extend therethrough in tight abutment with the floor. The adapter has a cylindrical lower part 18 which is of inside diameter to fit tightly about the top of the inlet of a conventional closet bend or discharge pipe 19.

The construction of the adapter 14 includes the bottom part 18 of cylindrical construction to fit about the top of the discharge pipe 19 to be leaded or brazed thereto in the case of the lead or copper pipe respectively. A semicylindrical part 29 extends upwardly from half of the cylindrical part 18 in co-planar extension therewith and a part 21 adjoined to the part 23 complements such part 243* and extends upwardly and outwardly from the cylindrical part 18 so that a horizontal cross-section through such part 21 is of elongated U-shape, and so that, as complemented by the semi-cylindrical cross-section through the part 2% the combined horizontal cross-section is substantially elliptical with the major diameter of the ellipse greater than that of the diameter of the outlet from the toilet base 11 and with the major axis of the ellipse being disposed perpendicular to and passing through the vertical axis of the part 18. Thus, prior to rigidly connecting the part 18 to the discharge pipe 19 by leading or brazing, as the case may be, the adapter 16 may be rotated about the discharge pipe 19, and consequently about the vertical axis through the part 18, so that the elliptical portion of the adapter is rotated eccentrically to permit adjustment of mis-registry of the discharge outlet from the water closet or toilet bowl and the inlet of the closet bend or discharge pipe 19. The part 21 terminates upwardly in a vertically extending part 22 the top of which terminates co-extensively with the top of the part 20. A flange 23 extends horizontally from the tops of the parts 26 and 22 and has a downwardly extending outer rim 24 which may groove the floor 16 when tight connection is made to the pipe 19.

The medial portions of the flange 23 are slotted with arcuate slots 25, 26, 27, which have an enlargement 28 in an end thereof to receive the head of a bolt 12 insertablethereinto after the adapter 14 has been installed and connected to the pipe 19. The flange 23 also has a short oval-shaped slot 29 adjacent the slots 25, 27, and communicating with the periphery of the flange by means of an opening 30.

Intermediate the slots 29 a radially inwardly extending portion or plate like lug 35 is provided having a hole 34 therein for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The axis of the opening 17 i cut in the floor 16 to.

extend either perpendicular to a wall 37, as shown in FIG. 1, or parallel thereto, or at an angle to such wall, consideration in every case being given to the position it is desired for the discharge axis of the toilet to occupy with relation to the wall 37, or with relation to such wall 37 and also in relation to a wall, not shown, which may perpendicularly intersect such wall 37. Since the part 22 of the adapter 14 extends vertically as well as-the part 20, the hole or opening 17 provided in the floor is of oval shape with sides extending vertically.

As a general rule, only two bolts may be required to connect the base 11 of a toilet it? to the adapter 14, and generally such connection may be made by utilizing the slots 25, 27, the heads of bolts 12 being inserted through the slots 28 of the installed adapter with the threaded ends of the bolts upward, and then the bolts are slid into the slots 25, 27 so that the heads of the bolts may shoulder upwardly on the flange 23 at the sides of the slots 25, 27, whereas the rim 24 and the opposite raised portion 31 across the slots prevent the bolts 12 from rotating as such bolts are of other than round cross-section. Thus, when the toilet 10 is positioned so that the bolts 12 extend through opposed elongated or slotted openings 32 in the toilet base, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and nuts 38 are installed on the threaded ends of the bolts and tightened, a firm connection is made between the toilet and the adapter 14 while the downwardly extending outer rim conventionally provided on toilet bases bears downwardly on the floor 16 outwardly of the adapter flange 23. a

in cases where the bolt 12 on one side of the toilet may be employed in slot 26, as when the longitudinal axis of the adapter must extend at right angles to the position shown in FIG. 1 with relation to a wall 37 then the opposite bolt 12 may be inserted beneath the inwardly extending portionor pad 35 with the head inserted upwardly from below, which, being of non-circular as square cross-section, may be restrained from rotation by the rims 49 below the lug 35. The pad 35 is selected to be of such a length and width that all of the full area of the slot 32 will rest upon the pad and thereby shut oh the escape of gases through the slot 32 into the room in which the toilet is installed.

The slots 29 are provided for conditions where the longitudinal axis of the adapter 14 must extend at an angle to two intersecting walls. In such case the toilet is shifted until the inner end of the slot 32 above the slot 29 is in contact with the bolt shank of a bolt 12 extending upwardly from the bolt head therebelow as such is housed against rotation between the rim 24 and the opposite peripheral ridge 31 of adapter part 22. Oppositely the toilet is shifted so that the slot 27 or the slot 26 may receive the upwardly extending bolt shank therethrough and through the slot 32 in the toilet thereabove.

The position of the toilet in this case must be such that the inner end of the toilet slot 32 does not inwardly overextend the flange 23. In case this position cannot be achieved with practicality it is still essential to cover the space. below that part of any slot 32 which might otherwise overextend the space inwardly of the adapter flange 23. This can be done as by providing a thin sheet metal shim as indicated in dotted lines 41 in FIG. 3. Such shim can berfixedly positioned by connection which employs the hole 34 for the connection medium and thus held below any 'overextending part -'of the slot 32.

It has not been uncommon for plumbers, during the installation of water closets, to remove any internal lug such as 35 in FIG. 2 from the adapter when the lug is not used to secure the adapter to the water closet bowl or to secure a shim such as 41 because the lug may provide an undesirable sediment trap. A sharp hammer blow is often used to remove lugs of non-ferrous metals and the flame of a torch to remove cast iron lugs.

In operation the adapter and toilet base 11 should best be set down in a matrix ring of putty and the like to insure against any leakage of gases passing through the adapter into the room in which the toilet is installed. Alsoputty or the like is best installed to fill the slots 32 around the bolts 12 for the same reason, and as a filler for such space.

When drainage water is flushed from a water closet,

the water begins to swirl in whirpool form in accordance with the well known physical phenomenon of a partially restricted body of water falling vertically. The water may retain a part of this swirling action as it leaves the water closet outlet pipe; and, when it falls and is further restrained against vertical falling by the smooth tapering inner surface of part 21, the swirling action is even further enhanced or it is again initiated. This smooth surface of part 21 inherently inhibitsturbulence and facilitates a circumferential swirling movement of the water to provide an excellent surface cleaning feature.

In the plumbing industry, the commercial installation of water closets to drain pipes by means of adapters is characterized frequently by (1) the close fit brazed or, soldered connection of a thin walled discharge pipe to an adapter with only a very narrow rim or ledge of onesixteenth inch being formed at the junction or (2) the heating (with a hammer) of a lead discharge pipe against the inner adapter surface and the soldering of the pipe to the adapter for a minimum width ledge upon which sediment can be trapped. The invention of this application is particularly advantageous in these two types of installations. The ledge formed by the pipe-adapter junction is so narrow that swirling action of the drainage Water implemented by the internal surface of part 21 will inherently flush the ledge and the surfaces immediately below the ledge to keep them relatively clear of sediment.

The provision of such an adapter solves a long unfulfilled problem in the plumbing'and construction field, and with the employment of such adapters adjustment may be made between such architectural features as walls and the like and such engineering features as piping and plumbing plans in cases where variance in construction'locations and drawing dimensions arise in practice.

The invention is not limited to the particular usage described, but the adapter has other applications as well in other fields of construction. Also, the invention is not limited to the structural embodiment hereinabove described, but other embodiments, modifications, and variations are considered as well as such may fall within the broad spirit of the invention, and Within the broad scope of interpretation claimed and merited for the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An adapter for installing a toilet eccentrically with respect to its discharge pipe therebeiow and comprising as an integral hollow preformed member the combination of a cylindrical lower part to fit about the top of the discharge pipe for leak-proof connection thereto, a semicylindrical part extending upwardly from half of said cylindrical lower part in coplanar extension thereof, a complementary part for said upwardly extending semicylindrical part connected smoothly thereto andtapering upwardly and outwardly from said cylindrical lower part and of elongated shape in horizontal cross section, said complementary part blending smoothly into and terminating in a second upwardly extending semi-cylindrical part of the same radius as said first named semi-cylindrical part and relatively straight. upwardly. extending parts joining said semi-cylindrical parts, said semi-cylindrical parts and said joining parts defining a smooth and continuous interior wall free of crevices and sharp bends. said semi-cylindrical parts and said joining parts defining an elongate inlet opening and having their tops coextensive, a horizontal flange extending outwardly from the coextensive tops of said semi-cyiindrical and'joining parts and having a downwardly turned edge rim, and the medial portions of said horizontally extending flange providing bolt openings therein and arcuate slots therein extending substantially therearound, whereby said adapter accommodates bolts with non-circular cross-section heads positioned downwardly in said openings non-rotatably between said rim and said adapter parts and slidably positioned in said slots with their shanks extending upwardly through the toilet base slots thereabove to receive nuts to connect said adapter to the toilet, and whereby said adapter is rotatable on the vertical axis of said cylindrical lower part so that said inlet opening may be rotated eccentrically to permit adjustment of mis-registry of the discharge outlet of the toilet and the inlet into the discharge pipe.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, including an inwardly directed plate-like lug at the top and in the peripheral mid-point of said first named semi-cylindrical part and providing a bolt opening therein to receive a toilet securing bolt therethrough in one position of eccentric mounting.

References Cited-in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 854,695 Hayden May 21, 1907 (Other references on following page) 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,765,865 Cosgrove Nov. 5, 1907 289969O Burkett Jan. 15, 1935 Groeniger Dec. 29, 1936 12, 39 Wesfling Feb. 20, 1940 5 539,819 Schmid Sept. 11, 1956 417,387

6 Schmid Oct. 9, 1956 Clifiord Aug. 18, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain June 28, 1893 Germany Dec. 2, 1931 Italy Jan. 18, 1947 

